It appears to be the cliche Not Like Other Girls trope and annoys you for the first 20 pages, but I promise that it becomes much deeper as the novel progresses. If you are not a fan of the trope and it is off-putting, give it a chance - it becomes more than that

The topics discussed are not light - from abortion, alcohol abuse and relationship problems to transphobia, sex and mental health - all are issues very relevant. Claire Hennessy does not beat around the bush and tells it how it is. Most touching moments for me were the discussion of how it is to be a woman in Ireland, pre-abortion referendum, and the measures to which women had to go through for their own bodies and freedom.

Some reviews say that Lauren is an unlikable character. I do not believe she is supposed to be liked by the reader. Her superiority complex, inability to communicate and unwillingness to understand the problems of other people is there to show that, unfortunately, are people like that. Lauren’s thoughts are very much like of any 16 year old girl who thinks she is something special. Lauren’s ways of dealing with her feelings and issues are not absurd or overstated, but are actions that some people do take in a time of crisis.

For me, what was comforting, is her exploration with her sexuality. This is the first piece of literature that I have read that looks into bisexuality from the point of view of a normal teenager finding herself in this world. It allowed me to empathise with her and inspired to search for more literature regarding this area.



Overall, I recommend this to everyone out there: young adults for relevancy; parents for insight. Give it a chance